Display shelf for bowling ball

ABSTRACT

A display shelf having a) a shelf portion having a supporting plate defined by a front edge, back edge and side edges, and b) a display holder for holding product information for product held by the shelf. The display holder is secured to the shelf by at least two hinges having the same pivot axis located behind the front edge such that the shelf is rotatable through at least 90 degrees from a position primarily below the supporting plate in a plane perpendicular to a position parallel to the supporting plate of the shelf.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. provisional Application 61/196,484 filed Oct. 17, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to display shelves and particularly to a display shelf for a bowling ball. Display shelves for bowling balls are known in the art but have serious disadvantages.

As might be expected, there are a number of display shelves having a hinged card or information holder, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,924,367; 5,934,633; 6,318,684; 6,665,969; 7,137,606; and 7,216,445. These vertical sign structures reduce access space between shelves thus reducing the number of shelves that can be placed in a given vertical dimension and interfering with ball placement and removal because they usually do not permit complete rotation away from all area between the shelves.

There are also a number of patents showing a hole in a shelf for retaining a ball, e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,332; and U.S. Patent Application US 2007/0221803A1. Display shelves for bowling balls have a unique problem in that typically to display a series of such balls on a plurality of shelves, one above another, a wide access must be available between the shelves for insertion and removal of the bowling ball. Such shelves are therefore not conducive to the use of vertically oriented shelf signs since such signs reduce access area between shelves thus significantly reducing shelf display space in a given area.

Therefore, what was not known was a bowling ball shelf having such a retaining hole and a sign carrier that permitted access to the shelf through the entire area between shelves.

Further any such rotating sign holders for display shelves which might have permitted complete upward rotation to completely access entry area between shelves for shelf access, would have required significant wasteful spatial separation from the shelf to permit complete upward rotation of the sign holder for shelf access.

Furthermore, such shelves, when made of a plastic have required deep ribs in the form of vertical flanges or ribs to provide sufficient strength to support the weight of the ball. Further if display insignia or information is desired, a vertical surface is required to hold the insignia or information.

In accordance with the invention, there is therefore provided a shelf that overcomes these disadvantages.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention a display shelf is provided that includes:

-   a) a shelf portion having a supporting plate defined by a front     edge, back edge and side edges, and -   b) a display holder for holding product information for product held     by the shelf.

The display holder is secured to the shelf by at least two hinges having the same pivot axis located behind the front edge such that the shelf is rotatable through at least 90 degrees from a position primarily below the supporting plate in a plane perpendicular to a position parallel to the supporting plate of the shelf.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of a clear display shelf of the invention showing supporting ribs and rotatable display retainer.

FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of a clear display shelf of the invention similar to the one shown in FIG. 1 except being opaque.

FIG. 3 shows a magnified view of the hinge of the display shelf of the invention showing a slot to accommodate a shelf support flange to permit at least 180 degree rotation.

FIG. 4 shows a magnified corner of a display shelf of the invention showing a retaining hole for accommodation of a pivot arm of the display retainer.

FIG. 5 shows a magnified view of corners of a display shelf used in the invention showing pivot arms of the display retainer for insertion into retaining holes in the shelf to form a 180 degree rotatable hinge.

FIG. 6 shows a display shelf of the invention having an edge supporting flange that extends both above and below a supporting surface of the shelf.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It has been found that a supporting frontal horizontal rib, as found in many prior art shelves, may be reduced or eliminated and display information can be placed on a swiveling display can be rotated out of the way to permit ball placement and removal and returned again to a display orientation. Strength may be added to the shelf in the form of various oriented ribs that are of insufficient height to significantly interfere with ball placement or removal.

The shelf of the invention can thus display as many as 40% more bowling balls in the same vertical space as prior art display shelves.

A significant feature of the display shelf of the invention is a swiveling hinge that permits a greater degree of rotation of a display holder than a usual hinge would in the present application. In particular, a slot is provided in the display holder that permits accommodation of a horizontally oriented supporting rib perpendicular to the display holder thus preventing interference with the supporting rib when the holder/retainer is rotated downwardly to an optimum display position. The hinge may further use a boss in the form of a cylindrical pin that locks into a through hole in the shelf thus giving secure attachment in the display position but permitting removal in a non-display orientation.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the enclosed for sheets of drawings.

As seen in FIG. 1, display shelf 10 has a supporting surface 12 and supporting shelf flanges 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22. The display shelf shown in the drawings is a bowling ball display shelf having a ball retaining hole 24; although, other examples of display shelves can be readily envisioned.

The display shelf has a display holder 26 having holding flanges 28 and 30 for holding descriptive and/or advertising material.

FIGS. 2 and 6 show similar opaque shelves. FIG. 6 is somewhat different in that supporting flange 52 extends both above and below supporting surface 12.

As best seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, a hinge structure 32 is provided on each of as opposite ends 34 and 36 of the display holder 26. As best seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, hinge structure 32 includes holes 42 at opposite corners 44 and 46 of a front portion 48 of the shelf that receives a cylindrical pivot pins 40 forming part of pivot arms 38. Of importance are slots 50 in the display holder that accommodate the support flanges 14 permitting at least a 180 degree rotation of the display holder thus permitting both adjustment for an appropriate reading angle for the descriptive or advertising material and the ability to move the display holder completely out of the area between shelves for insertion or removal of items to be displayed, e.g. a bowling ball.

As previously discussed, as best seen in FIG. 2, the display holder is secured to the shelf by at least two hinges having the same pivot axis 54 located behind the front edge such that the shelf is rotatable through at least 90 degrees from a position primarily below the supporting plate in a plane perpendicular to a position parallel to the supporting plate of the shelf. The display holder is preferably rotatable through 120 degrees and most preferably is rotatable through at least 180 degrees from a position primarily below the supporting plate in a plane perpendicular to the supporting plate of the shelf to a position primarily above the supporting plate in a plane perpendicular the supporting plate of the shelf.

The display shelf is provided with edge supporting flanges 14, 52 along the side edges and is preferably further provided with supporting intermediate flanges 16, 18 between the edge supporting flanges permitting a rigid shelf structure with minimum supporting plate thickness.

Also as previously discussed, the display holder is provided with slots 50 that permit rotation of the shelf over the edge supporting flanges 14, 52.

The display shelf is preferably a bowling ball display shelf having a hole 24 through the supporting plate 12 for retaining a bowling ball.

Each of the hinges preferably includes concentric holes 42 behind the front edge 48 of the shelf through the edge supporting flanges and the display holder comprises pivot arms, each having a cylindrical pivot pin, and the pivot arms are arranged so that the pivot pins fit into the holes to form the hinges.

Advantages of the shelf of the present invention include:

-   a) sleek and sturdy design -   b) requires less slat wall space -   c) attractive appearance -   d) revolutionary swivel display attachment permitting greater degree     of rotation to permit optimal display orientation; and -   e) less material and production cost. 

1. A display shelf comprising: a) a shelf portion having a supporting plate defined by a front edge, back edge and side edges, and b) a display holder for holding product information for product held by the shelf, said display holder being secured to the shelf by at least two hinges having the same pivot axis located behind the front edge such that the shelf is rotatable through at least 90 degrees from a position primarily below the supporting plate in a plane perpendicular to a position parallel to the supporting plate of the shelf.
 2. The shelf of claim 1 wherein the display holder is rotatable through at least 120 degrees.
 3. The shelf of claim 1 wherein the shelf is rotatable through at least 180 degrees from a position primarily below the supporting plate in a plane perpendicular to the supporting plate of the shelf to a position primarily above the supporting plate in a plane perpendicular the supporting plate of the shelf.
 4. The display shelf of claim 1 wherein the shelf is provided with edge supporting flanges along the side edges.
 5. The display shelf of claim 4 wherein the display holder is provided with slots that permit rotation of the shelf over the edge supporting flanges.
 6. The display shelf of claim 1 wherein the display shelf is a bowling ball display shelf having a hole through the supporting plate for retaining a bowling ball.
 7. The display shelf of claim 1 wherein each of the hinges comprises concentric holes behind the front edge of the shelf through the edge supporting flanges and the display holder comprises pivot arms, each having a cylindrical pivot pin, and the pivot arms are arranged so that the pivot pins fit into the holes to form the hinges.
 8. The display shelf of claim 4 wherein the shelf is further provided with supporting intermediate flanges between the edge supporting flanges permitting a rigid shelf structure with minimum supporting plate thickness. 